In the games

Role

Cheren is a childhood friend of the player who, like the player, lives in the starting town of Nuvema Town. While he holds a greater knowledge in Pokémon than his friends and tends to offer the player advice during the course of their journey, his comments are often witty and intellectual. He also misunderstands Bianca's humor often, to her dismay. Whilst Professor Juniper describes him as being very honest, she also remarks that he can be 'a little difficult'; his impatience in particular is often seen throughout the earlier stages of his journey. He is also described as being quite judgmental by Alder.

In keeping with the theme of truth and ideals often seen in Black and White, Cheren represents those who pursue ideals—more precisely, as N pointed out in Chargestone Cave, the ideal of strength. His goal is to become the Champion and always strives to become stronger, yet the first time that Alder asked him why he strives to become stronger, he was quite unsure of his reasons. He then starts to ponder to himself how to do so—something that Alder said he used to do with his partner Pokémon as well—and what exactly it means to be strong. Alder also remarked that Cheren is a lot like Marshal.

Like the player and Bianca, Cheren receives a starter Pokémon as a gift from Professor Juniper at the start of the game. He always chooses the starter with a type advantage over the player's starter. The player will encounter and battle him several times throughout the game. After the main storyline, Cheren can be found inside Victory Road where he can be battled once a day.

Cheren appears numerous times throughout the game, such as in Driftveil and Opelucid City, as well as Route 21. He gives the player and Hugh advice and guidance on the current situation, such as the freezing of Opelucid City, where Drayden learns of Cheren's ascension to the position of Aspertia Gym Leader.

"Just as this is your first Gym challenge, this is my first Pokémon battle as a Gym Leader! Let's both do our best and have a battle we can be proud of!"

During battle (the first non-KO HP loss)

"To have chosen that move... I see! You'll be a powerful opponent!"

After sending out last Pokémon

"As a Gym Leader, I aim to be a wall for you to overcome!"

When defeated

"This! This is what a real Pokémon battle is!"

After being defeated

"That battle has made me feel really glad you were my first challenger as a Gym Leader… I give you this in honor of the strength you and your Pokémon showed!"

"Here is your first Gym Badge, the Basic Badge! This is an important milestone! With this Badge, Pokémon up to Lv. 20 will obey you, including traded Pokémon."

"And I want you to take this! TM83 can teach your Pokémon the move Work Up! When you use Work Up while battling, it raises the user's Attack and Sp. Atk. By the way, TMs can be used as many times as you want!"

"In the Unova region, there are eight Pokémon Gyms and eight Gym Badges! If you're a Trainer, you could collect all of them! That will make it easier to fill the pages of the Pokédex as well! Yes, two years ago, Pokédex in hand, I left on a journey with my friends."

Badge Case

Everyone has a different dream. Search for your life's purpose.

National Gymquirer

Jingle: "Woo hoo! All right! It's 'The National Gymquirer'!"

Page: "That's right! We collect the hottest gossip about Gym Leaders seen around town! Here is today's letter. From someone going by the name 3rdGradeGoodyGoody! Thank yooou! 'Recently, I saw Cheren making his thumb and middle finger into a circle like glasses. He said he gave up his glasses so he can focus on Pokemon battles, but maybe Cheren actually misses them' Hm... Maybe a circle is just a circle! 'The National Gymquirer'! We eagerly await your letters!"

In the anime

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

In the Be a Master!! Pokémon BW manga

Cheren is friends with both Monta and Bianca, he is very knowledgable about Pokémon, which Monta dislikes. Anywhere Monta slips up he won't hesitate to tell him the right way. He first appears with Bianca when Monta is attempting to capture a wildPatrat and Watchog. Monta is just about to capture the Watchog which Cheren tells him that it is not the right way. He explains to Monta to remember that when two Pokémon come out at the same time, one should knock out the one they don't want before they can get the one that they do want. Cheren suddenly decides for all of them to take their Pokémon journey together, which a man on his bike overhears. He starts insult them making him and Monta angry.

He uses Tepig in a Double Battle with Monta's Snivy against a Bōsōzoku King's Braviary, it looks like they were about to lose, but they uses a combination attack which Cheren thinks of, fainting Braviary. Cheren battles Monta in PBW2 using his Tepig, Pansage and Basculin against Monta's Snivy, Panpour and Roggenrola. He starts off with a lecture about triple battles. With his great knowledge of triple battles he gives Monta a hard time, but is eventually defeated.

Pokémon

Tepig

Cheren's Tepig is well trained and has a type advantage over Monta's Snivy. It was first used in a Double Battle with Snivy against the Bōsōzoku King's Braviary. After Snivy tries a Vine Whip which hardly does any damage, he goes in for a fire attack which hardly does any damage too. Tepig is then sent flying with Peck. It goes in with a Fire Pledge with Grass Pledge creating the combination needed to defeat Braviary.

It battles Monta in PBW2 with Pansage and Basculin against Monta's Snivy, Panpour and Roggenrola. It starts off with an Ember on Snivy, before taking a hit for Basculin by switching places with it, not hurting it much. But seconds later, Panpour uses Surf fainting it.

In the TCG

Related cardsCards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format.Cards listed with a silver background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.